Can I take a location and origins from another book?

So I have this idea for a story/book (This would be my first). I was inspired from a book that I had read. My idea is taking a small part of this book and going further into it sort of. Hard to explaine. Anyways, Is it possible to somehow tye my story into that story. I don't want to copy it by any means. Just like want to reference back to it, like have the charactors in my story speak of the location and there orginis back to this other book?

If you need me to try to explaine a little bit better let me know. :)

Thank You for any help.

December 3, 2009 @ 1:32pmJanetCroft says:

Not if you want to publish the book. This is what fan fiction writers do all the time, and the authors they borrow from don't always like it. But as long as it stays on fan fiction sites, most don't complain too much. However, if you try to actually publish it and sell it for money, they you've stepped over the line and violated copyright -- unless you can gain their permission first.